Thread: My letter from Sen. Durbin

Dear Mrs.:

Thank you for contacting me about making English the official language
of
the United States. I appreciate hearing from you.

It is important for all residents in the U.S. to acquire proficiency in
English. And the ability to speak and read English is required of
those
who desire to become naturalized citizens.

The Senate recently considered two amendments to the comprehensive
immigration reform bill (S. 2611) that passed the Senate on May 25,
2006.
I voted in support of an amendment by Senator Salazar that declared
English to be the common and unifying language of the United States,
and
that stated that the federal government shall preserve and enhance
English's role as America's common language. This amendment was
adopted
by the Senate in a 58-39 vote.

I did not support an amendment to S. 2611 that was introduced by
Senator
James Inhofe and also adopted by the Senate. This amendment was
similar
to the Salazar amendment in that it declared English to be our national
language and provided that the federal government shall preserve and
enhance English's role. However, the Inhofe amendment also provided
that
no person has a claim or entitlement to have the U.S. government
communicate or provide materials in any language other than English,
unless such a claim or entitlement is already provided for in current
law.

I believe that our government should be obligated to provide certain
types
of information in whatever languages are necessary to ensure that the
information is conveyed. Current law cannot predict all the situations
in
which human life, public safety, civil rights, and national security
would
be preserved through the dissemination of information in multiple
languages. For example, if an unforeseen epidemic swept across the
country, government agencies should be expected and permitted to
distribute important information to everyone who may need it, be they
tourists from Japan, farmworkers from Mexico, or visiting dignitaries
from
Senegal. Considerations such as these led me to oppose the Inhofe
amendment.

While I recognize the primacy of English as our common and unifying
language, it is also important that we respect each person's cultural
heritage. Our country's rich cultural diversity has been a source of
strength for our nation. In fact, with the changes in the world
economy
and the increasing importance of exports to U.S. businesses, the
ability
to speak a foreign language has become a valuable skill and should not
be
looked down upon.

Again, thank you for sharing your concerns with me. I will keep your
concerns in mind as the Senate continues to consider immigration reform
and other related legislation.

Sincerely,




Richard J. Durbin
United States Senator

RJD/ds

P.S. If you are ever visiting Washington, please feel free to join
Senator
Obama and me at our weekly constituent coffee. When the Senate is in
session, we provide coffee and donuts every Thursday at 8:30 a.m. as we
hear what is on the minds of Illinoisans and respond to your questions.
We would welcome your participation. Please call my D.C. office for
more
details.

Well....standard issue letter. I wrote him concerning the demand for Spanish to get an entry level job when English was already the language for Illinois. Oh well......but quick question. Do they announce tornado warnings or hurricane warnings or evacuations in any other languages in your areas besides English and Spanish? They don't here and there are Polish, German, Korean, Middle Easterners, French etc. It's a major tourist area in Chicago. Just didn't buy the line he gave.

Crazybird....Hey I live in Lafayette, La..... I can tell you that during Hurricane Katrina and Rita nothing was uttered in Spanish or any other language....I was glued to the weather channel during both hurricanes.
I can see it now, the cajuns would really go crazy if they even spoke spanish on any of the local channels...
dot

anybody out there have a list on how the Senators voted ...state by state...

crazybird
You have my sympathy that Durbin is your Senator,as for me, I am so glad to lay claim to Senator James Inhofe!

You have my sympathy that Durbin is your Senator

Ya me too and unfortunatly there's no voting him out this November. We're stuck for a couple more years of distruction.

To me Durbin belongs down there with Kerry, Kennedy, McCain, and Bush. WHOA !! I left out "Mr. and Mrs. Clinton" !! Such an all American couple !!

SERIOUSLY.